Cost of Living Comparison Between Naousa and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Naousa and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,444 in Naousa versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,209 in Naousa versus $2,125 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,974 in Naousa versus $2,990 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Naousa is roughly 15% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Naousa is 9% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.06 €12.18

$11.72 MX$203

19.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.9 €50.1

$41.89 MX$725

38.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.92 €8.59

$10.51 MX$182

-5.61%

Cappuccino

$4.15 €3.60

$3.59 MX$62.0

15.60%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 €1.96

$1.51 MX$26.10

49.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 €0.49

$0.92 MX$15.83

-38.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.65 €4.89

$2.96 MX$51.2

90.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 €5.00

$4.41 MX$76.3

30.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 €1.42

$1.40 MX$24.16

17.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 €1.23

$1.88 MX$32.60

-24.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.47 €2.13

$1.56 MX$26.97

58.33%

Eggs

$4.25 €3.68

$2.61 MX$45.14

62.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 €11.63

$8.32 MX$144

61.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.84 €8.52

$8.35 MX$145

17.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.95 €12.08

$10.86 MX$188

28.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 €1.94

$2.71 MX$46.93

-17.34%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.51 MX$26.04

35.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.44 €1.25

$1.87 MX$32.41

-22.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 €1.72

$2.19 MX$37.89

-9.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 €1.09

$1.86 MX$32.14

-32.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 €1.07

$2.23 MX$38.59

-44.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 €0.89

$1.07 MX$18.48

-3.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 €0.70

$1.09 MX$18.79

-25.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.16 €4.47

$4.19 MX$72.4

23.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.01 €6.07

$10.43 MX$180

-32.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.08 €1.80

$1.66 MX$28.68

25.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.42

$2.61 MX$45.19

6.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.57 €1.36

$0.54 MX$9.37

190.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.96 €40.67

$26.16 MX$453

79.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 €3.91

$3.08 MX$53.3

46.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.73 €11.89

$3.13 MX$54.1

338.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 €1.89

$1.31 MX$22.69

67.18%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$31.1K €26.9K

$29.8K MX$515.7K

4.23%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$26.4K €22.9K

$23.3K MX$403.5K

13.31%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$217 €188

$81.3 MX$1,406

166.42%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$23.08 €19.99

$22.56 MX$390

2.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.90 €28.49

$30.05 MX$520

9.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.02 €41.58

$52.9 MX$915

-9.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.81 €22.35

$18.39 MX$318

40.35%

Cinema Ticket

$9.39 €8.13

$4.92 MX$85.1

90.85%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$417 €362

$201 MX$3,474

107.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,054 €5,243

$5,175 MX$89.5K

17.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.5 €76.6

$35.92 MX$622

146.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.83 €32.76

$40.13 MX$694

-5.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.9 €77.9

$79.7 MX$1,379

12.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 €91.4

$86.5 MX$1,496

22.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$491 €425

$978 MX$16.9K

-49.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$395 €342

$470 MX$8,140

-16.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$777 €673

$1,651 MX$28.6K

-52.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$606 €525

$1,203 MX$20.8K

-49.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,818 €2,440

$3,953 MX$68.4K

-28.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,549 €2,208

$6,607 MX$114.3K

-61.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$976 €846

$677 MX$11.7K

44.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.43

11.42

-61.21%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Naousa: July 28, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $491 in Naousa and $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Naousa pays 44% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $58.0 in Naousa vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $278 vs $252 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Naousa vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Naousa and Playa del Carmen differ by about 15% in total monthly costs ($1,444 vs $1,260 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 44% higher in Naousa, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $491 in Naousa versus $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $417 in Naousa versus $201 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Naousa. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,444 in Naousa, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Naousa. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Naousa and Playa del Carmen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Naousa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.